Find your Research Question

Research requires a question for which no ready answer is available.

It is answered in your thesis & throughout your paper

Whenever a yes / no question lies behind a research question, an assumption has been made; therefore, you should:

◦ Identify the assumption◦ Support it in your paper (introduction)

What is the Research Question?

Asking a topic as a question (or series of related questions) has several advantages:

1- Questions require answers They are not like general topics or statementsthat are too broad to be answered and sometimes they are

confusing

RQ: Why is it important?

2-A clear open-ended question calls for real research and thinking.

Assuming that your research may solve significant problems or expand the knowledge base of a discipline involves you in more meaningful activity of community and scholarship

Examples of RQs.Topic Question

Drugs and Crime Could liberalization of drug laws reduce crime in the U.S.?

University Education in Egypt

To what extent is university education in Egypt preparing students for the workplace?

foreign aid for agricultural development in India

To what extent is foreign aid for agricultural development in India benefiting the country?

Now…What Are The Topics of these Questions?

?Why has the Egyptian government failed to overhaul the education curriculum?

?Why is European aid for industrial development to India ineffective?

Example I:

Possible Questions Templates

• What are the reasons behind…

• Who is responsible for …

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of…

Exercise I :

Look at question markers for clues, andConsider how you would form the question

Possible Questions Templates

What are the reasons behind…

Who is responsible for …

What are the advantages and disadvantages of…

Cont. RQ’s Templates

• Is the use of…effective/ legal / useful

• What is the truth behind the events of …

• What are the differences…

• Which is better…

Exercise II:

Put two Research Questions for each of the following topics:

• Laws regarding divorce in Egypt • AIDS awareness campaign held in Egypt • Political Participation in Egypt